Event Details

GDC at a Glance

GDC returns to Moscone Center in San Francisco, March 9-13, 2026. Join a celebration of game history and explore game preservation as well as the industry’s greatest source of content and connections—with plenty of exciting talks, sessions, and networking events.

At GDC Expo, attendees can check out companies’ latest products and solutions, head to GDC Play to try the latest indie games, or attend career development talks around building portfolios, and so much more.

Conference Hours:

Monday: 9:30am - 6:30pm
Tuesday: 9:30 - 6:30pm
Wednesday: 9am - 6pm
Thursday: 10am - 6:30pm
Friday: 10am - 4pm

Game Career Seminar Hours:

Friday: 9:00am - 5:20pm

Check out the GDC programs defined below for more details.

GDC Programs Defined

Conference Content

Summits Sessions	GDC Summits are deep dives into specific game dev disciplines or markets, designed to foster learning and connection among specific communities. Summit sessions provide actionable takeaways you can immediately incorporate into your career. Topics include Level Design, Art Direction, AI , UX and more.
Workshops	GDC Workshops are interactive full- or half-day sessions designed to teach skills and promote critical thinking that can be immediately applied to game development projects. Workshops can consist of lectures, hands-on exercises, and group discussions. For 2025, GDC will host the Economic Policy & Ecosystem Workshop and Production Essentials Workshop, in addition to the annual Game Design Workshop, Storytelling Fundamentals Workshop and Climate Crisis Workshop.
Core Concepts Sessions	The Core Concepts program focuses on seven key pillars of game development: Audio, Business & Marketing, Design, Production & Team Leadership, Programming, and Visual Arts, along with specialty topics like the Classic Game Postmortem series and Advocacy Sessions. Core Concepts sessions cover tried-and-true techniques, important lessons learned, and present new ways of working and thinking about game development.
Core Concepts Roundtables	60-minute interactive peer-to-peer discussions on open-ended topics facilitated by experienced moderators. Constructive controversy and debate are welcome. Roundtables have a limited capacity and attendance is first-come, first served.
Independent Games Summit (IGS) Content	Hear from innovative indie game creators sharing key learnings in the Independent Games Summit. Attend lectures and postmortems presented by diverse voices, including many former and current Independent Games Festival finalists and winners.
Sponsored Content	Hear from leading game technology companies in sponsored sessions throughout the week to learn firsthand about their latest products, tools, services, and techniques. Sponsor Development Summit and Next-Gen Tech Forum sessions are Monday and Tuesday. Sponsored Core Concepts, Partner Stage, and Industry Stage sessions are Wednesday through Friday. Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders
Advocacy Sessions	Address topics ranging from diversity to censorship to quality of life within the realm of social advocacy in the game industry. Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders
Game Career Development Content	Discover strategies for pitching your game, effective communication, how to land an investor/publisher, business development, and how to build your career in the game development directly from industry experts. Attend sessions Wednesday – Friday, and the Game Career Seminar, happening Friday, designed for students and others interested in starting a game development career. Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

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Meetings & Networking

One-on-One Meetings	Attendees can request meetings with any fellow attendees through our event mobile app. Search other attendees by job title, professional interest, and other filters, then send them a meeting request with a proposed date, time, and location.
GDC Encounters: Speed Networking	GDC will offer Speed Networking for on-site attendees. These will be one-hour sessions with attendees rotating around the room.
Expo Hall Happy Hour	Join us in the GDC Expo to mingle with exhibitors and sponsors and grab a free drink.
Awards	Meet the winners after the awards for a networking opportunity.
GDC Nights	Looking for the secret level? We've got your ticket to an epic adventure with GDC Nights! Recharge your batteries and make meaningful connections with the world’s best game developers!

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Expo

GDC Expo

Expand your network and join leading companies in game development ready to provide solutions to your business challenges. Dedicated sponsor pages and meetings are available during all event hours on the official mobile app.

Pass Access: Available for all pass holders

GDC Play

Learn about innovative projects from emerging and independent developers and meet the people who created them. Visit the studio’s dedicated pages and don’t miss their game demo sessions!

Pass Access: Available for all pass holders

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Special Events

GDC Main Stage Content

GDC Main Stage hosts sessions & talks from prominent industry leaders sharing their experiences around important game industry themes.

Pass Access: Available for all GDC pass holders

IGF Awards & GDCA Ceremonies

Celebrate the game industry at this vibrant two-part awards ceremony which kicks off with the IGF Awards, recognizing the best indie game developers, and follows up with the Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for peer recognition in the video game industry.